Why should you wash your hands?

1. Washing hands properly and frequently is good personal hygiene, and it is the single most effective way to prevent and reduce the spread of communicable diseases, if it is done correctly.
2. Hand washing ceases germs from transmitting to mouth and further reduces infections; diseases such as dysentery, cholera, hepatitis, influenza, or foot and mouth disease, are often transmitted through dirty hands.
3. Medical staff is obligated to wash hands properly and thoroughly to avoid germs spreading out in order to meet nosocomial infection control.

The importance of hand hygiene:

Both of your hands are accesses to transmitting disease, so maintain hand-washing from time to time to protect yourself and other people who come in contact with you. Be aware that Germs are often transmitted when people shaking hands right after you sneeze or cough; when you come in contact with people after touching secretions and mucus of patients or their dirty cloth; when you use money to pay for something; and when you touch door knobs or handles after your rub your eyes.

When should you wash hands？

1. Wash hands after using the bathroom.
2. Use plain soap or antibacterial soap to wash hands after touching patients, kids’ or pets’ excretions, mucous membrane, or secretions.
3. Wash hands to avoid germs transmitting from hands to mouth or transmitting by contamination of food before eating or preparing food
4. When you return from work, wash your hands before you do anything else.
5. Whenever there is a risk of transmitting an illness, keep your hands clean and wash them properly and thoroughly.

Things to be aware of while washing hands:

1. Take off rings, bracelets, wristwatches, and etc. before washing hands.
2. It is better to use warm water (38-40℃) than cold water.
3. Use antibacterial soap or regular soap.
4. Scrub hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds.
5. When rinsing your hands with water, keep your hands with a downward posture to avoid water flowing back.
6. Dry your hands with a clean towel and use the same towel to turn off the faucet to prevent water from splashing onto the faucet.

How to wash your hands correctly?

1. Moisten your hands with warm running water and then add soap or antibacterial soap.
2. Rub your hands together vigorously and scrub all surfaces: lather up both sides of your hands, your wrists, between your fingers, and around your nails.
3. Rinse well under warm running water.

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